Daily News

Switzerland – Personnel firm accused of “partner fixing”

07 March 2012

Roberto Oprandi, the head of the Swiss personnel consulting group Oprandi & Partner denied recent allegations of “partner fixing” in an article published in Der Bund. The firm, which has a strong presence in Eastern Europe but also in Austria and Germany, employs around 70 partners and the CEO now has to face charges brought forward by three of his former partners.

Mr Oprandi is accused of partner fixing: hiring middle-age partners at the brink of their careers by charging them an entry fee of 50,000 CHF (approximately €41,000). He is also alleged to have used dubious employment contracts that charge partners additional fees, for instance if they want to leave the firm and work elsewhere in the region.

However, Mr Oprandi called the allegations “completely absurd” in an interview with the paper. He said “We have been doing a very good job for 24 years, partners and clients can confirm this.” He explained that his firm was making enough money and would not need to make more by doing partner fixing. He also said that the average time partners spend at the firm is nine years so “Why should they stay so long if this system is so bad and they earn so little?”

These are not the first legal charges brought against Mr Oprandi by former partners and the current case continues.

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